Gaming device method involving multiple classes of credits, wagering of contingent winners, a special purpose meter therefor, and a player-determinable bonus round

ABSTRACT

A gaming device is described where various events pay players in multiple classes of credits. One class of special credits has no cash value and may only be rewagered in an attempt to win traditional cash-equivalent credits. The player decides when to play a bonus game where the special credits are bet.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application SerialNo. 60/702,305 filed on 07/23/2005, which is incorporated by referencein its entirety herein.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or maycontain material subject to copyright protection. The copyright ownerhas no objection to photocopy reproduction of the patent document or thepatent disclosure as appearing in the Patent and Trademark Office patentfile or records, but otherwise all copyright rights whatsoever arereserved. 37 CFR 1.71(d).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to gambling devices generally and in particular toa new method for playing slot and poker machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gambling devices, or gaming devices including slot machines, allowplayers to wager something of value in the hopes of winning something ofgreater value. Originally slot machines were mechanical devicesemploying 3 physical reels with various symbols painted or affixed tothem. Upon inserting a coin and pulling a spring-loaded handle, thereels were set in motion and players were paid or not depending uponwhere the reels stopped and which symbols were shown across the displayportion of the machine.

Slot machines have evolved greatly since the original gaming devicesdiscussed above. Most slot machines in use today are electroniccomputers, and the symbols are displayed in video form. Players oftenprefer video display slot machines over traditional slot machines usingmechanical reels. The video platform also offers more flexibility indevelopment for manufacturers. The common term today for a gamblingmachine is a gaming device, which is used herein to include gamblingdevices such as slot machines, video poker, and other gambling gameswhether reel, video or otherwise.

Newer video slots typically display 5 reels side-by-side that spin on acommon axis instead of the traditional 3 (or more) mechanical reels.These newer video slots usually show 3 stopping positions of each reelyielding a visible matrix of 3 rows by 5 columns. Sometimes the numberof reels and reel positions displayed vary.

Players typically wager on 1 or more paylines that run in differentpaths through the reel positions displayed. Unlike newer models ofgaming devices, early slots paid only for matching symbols straightacross the center (a single payline). Traditionally the path of eachpayline takes I adjacent position of each reel, so on a 5-reel game thepayline is usually 5 positions in length. However, today these paylinepaths may number in the hundreds, they may take any path, and they maynot always span adjacent reels nor even be on contiguous positions. Onenewer game entitled Hoot Loot even has a special payline comprised onlyof symbols containing a star. Generally, players may wager on multiplepaylines and may even wager multiple credits per payline. Reel symbolsoccurring in various combinations on the paylines are compared to aschedule of winning events commonly called a pay table to determine awin or loss. Often there are wild symbols that substitute for othersymbols, and symbol combinations that trigger a bonus or feature game.Scatter pays are also common where certain symbol(s) pay anywhere in thevisible display, and they don't have to be on any payline. Wins areusually rewarded with monetary awards from a coin hopper provided in themachine or tickets redeemable for cash.

Second screen features (or more) are common. A “second-screen” bonusgame is usually separate and distinct from the normal reel display, anda player might select a car in a car race or scratch from a selection ofvideo lottery tickets to earn credits, free games or anything of value.Some games even offer third screens or more, enhancing player interestand intrigue. These bonus game features typically occur randomly every50 plays or so and are embedded in the game mathematics. Theiroccurrence is not conditioned upon an additional bet.

Some games let creative players play consecutive games without manualintervention. Sometimes players wedge a toothpick or folded matchbookcover in such a manner as to keep the play button depressed. Providedthey have sufficient credits, consecutive games play off by themselves.Although these players have basically fashioned an autoplay device, eachgame is still a single, discrete event that requires a separate wager.However, in newer gaming devices a “game” might be comprised of multipleslot machines spins of a traditional nature plus other interactions andevents.

In general, the more interactive a gaming device is, the moreentertaining it is, and the greater its entertainment value the moreplayers will play it. Accordingly, more play normally translates togreater profits for gaming device operators.

Other types of gaming devices offer side bets. For example, in one gameplayers play blackjack, but may wager separately who gets closest to a“21” point score. In another a gaming device is provided that offers aside bet to participate in a super jackpot game.

Side bets have also been around for a very long time. Aristocrat, amajor slot machine manufacturer headquartered in Australia, makes gamesthat offer side bets embedded within a video slot machine. Their Cashmanseries offers bonus features that can only be achieved when a side betis made. This side bet is only offered when the player has first bet themaximum number of lines offered on the machine. For example, after aplayer bets the maximum 20 paylines they are offered the chance to makea side bet that costs the equivalent of betting another 5 paylines.Thus, these games entice the player to raise their bet. Since casinosand operators normally retain a percentage of the bet, this side betusually results in greater revenues and profits. While this is asomewhat creative means to offer a side bet, it is still just anadditional bet. Side bets are separate wagers on separate events.

Some gaming devices offer multiple bets. Triple Play Poker permitsplayer's held cards to be played as multiple poker hands with each drawperformed independently, usually resulting in 3 different outcomes. Eachadditional hand requires an additional wager that can become expensive,since it costs 3 times as much to play.

Regardless of the type or form of gaming device—whether reel slot, videogame, some other type or combination—the basic method of wagering hasremained largely the same for years. The player inserts coins orotherwise obtains credits on a machine, commits a wager, plays the gameand then is paid or not depending on the outcome.

Slot machines today play in many different denominations. Credits on onemachine might be worth 1 cent (or less), while others are worth $100.Some machines even allow you to select the denomination at the machineand to change it between games. One advance in slot machine developmentwas the use of a credit meter. With a credit meter, a player couldinsert more coins than were needed to play a single game, and thus havea pool of funds to draw upon. Ten nickels inserted would yield tencredits, for example. Then, the player could play one game that requiredten nickel credits, ten games that required one nickel credit each, oranything in between. The use of a credit meter also allowed winnings tobe accumulated on the machine, instead of always being paid out in coinseach time the player won. A player could rack up credits and then chooseto cash out at their leisure by the use of a special button on themachine for this purpose.

In 1990s, most slot machine manufacturers began offering currencyacceptors with their machines. Players could obtain machine credits bysimply inserting paper currency. In recent years, manufacturers haveeven added devices that could dispense currency instead of, or inaddition to, coins. (These are known as note hoppers and operate similarto bank cash machines or ATMs). Many new machines pay players in papertickets or scripts that may be redeemed elsewhere or reinserted intosimilar machines that read and accept such paper. These are often calledticket-printer machines. Some machines may even accept credit cards orother cards that have value.

A traditional video slot machine commonly has 2 rows of bet buttons plusa service and cashout button. The top row dictates the number ofpaylines, often from 1 to 9 or more. (In the case of the Cashman examplecited earlier, the top row also contains the side bet button.) Thebottom row has the credit per line bet buttons, which are commonly from1 to 10. These limits change depending on the game. A typical one-centgame today may offer up to 20 paylines and 20 credits per line for atotal bet of 400 credits or $4.00 per play, or more. Play is commonlyinitiated by pressing the credit per line button, which is multiplied bythe number of currently selected paylines to arrive at the total bet.

As a promotion, casinos sometime configure certain slot machines fortournament play. Slot tournaments are player versus player competitionsadministered by casino staff. Players gain entry through a variety ofmeans, such as achieving VIP status in the casino's players club, payingan entry fee or simply for signing up. In these tournaments, players donot wager anything directly or at all, but person(s) with the highestcredit scores receive something of value from the casino. Since there isno wager, the slot machines are set to a free play mode where the goalis to get more credits than the other players. Players are not paiddirectly for credits earned. Tournaments are marketing programs thatrely on gaming devices for implementation.

Time on a particular device is a huge factor in the gaming industrytoday. Time on device is important not only for direct profits to gamingdevice operators, but also indirectly. The more time spent in onegambling property means more profit opportunities for the casino.Restaurants, shows, gift shops, hotel rooms, etc., all give the casinothe chance for more profits. In general, the more time a player spendsin a gaming establishment, the greater the likelihood they will returnand spend even more. Operators strive to keep you in theirestablishment, which generally means more profits, and typically providenumerous incentives such as free or inexpensive food and drinksspecifically for this purpose.

Marketing studies have revealed that players do not mind losing so much,as long as they can have a good time playing. Most casino gamblers don'treally expect to win, but they do expect to play for a reasonable amountof time. This is consistent with newer trends in gaming where gamblingfor the typical patron is more of an entertainment experience. With theproliferation of casinos in America in recent years, casino gambling hasbecome mainstream entertainment. Perhaps the most important part of thatentertainment value is “time on device”, or how long you get to play foryour money. Time on device is critical to a positive gamblingexperience.

Accordingly, recent attempts have been made to ensure greater time ondevice for players. Perhaps the most common method today on slotmachines is to offer more winners of lesser amounts. To this end slotmakers design games with a greater mathematical win frequency and areduced pay table. Especially in newer video slots these win or hitfrequencies reach 50% or more. In practice, this means you might bet 10coins per line on 9 paylines (90 coins total) only to win 20 coins. Eventhough this is clearly a net loss for the player, the 20 award is stilladvertised as a win. This trickling back of credits to the player takestheir money more slowly, recognizes them as winners (even if they'relosing) and extends their playtime for a given amount of money to bet.

One problem with high hit frequencies is that player returns becomemeaningless. While time on device is generally lengthened, betting 90 towin 20 eventually becomes tedious and boring. Players soon realize thatwith these gaming products they are not really winning even if themachine displays “winner”, but rather, they have simply lost less. Thereduced payable means the allure of big winners is diminished. Thetradeoff of more common winners is smaller winners.

Other enticements also keep players playing longer. As mentionedoccasional bonus features or second-screen events that award free playsor credits are common ways to motivate players. Random payouts andmystery jackpots (typically paid anywhere on a bank of networked gamingmachines) are also popular. Progressive awards, where certain outcomespay an amount that increases with credits played until won, also giveplayers something special to play for. Qualifying for progressive awardsis often conditioned on players first wagering the maximum allowablebet.

Some less common gaming devices employ a hold and re-spin feature. Inthese games the reels are spun once, then desirable symbols are heldsimilar to draw poker and the rest are spun again in order to make morefavorable combinations. Still other esoteric and non-traditionalconcepts let players buy a predetermined amount of time and playremotely without even being near the machine. But, this lesserinvolvement detracts from the experience.

Different jurisdictions impose different regulations onto casinooperators and gaming machine manufacturers. For example, riverboatcasino legislation in Mississippi resulted in casinos being built in themud that don't even float. These riverboats don't navigate and can'teven move. In other markets, riverboat casinos are required to cruisesome distance periodically to qualify under the regulations.

Similarly, different states place different requirements onto gamingdevices. One common rule requires a skill component. Thus in somemarkets video draw poker games are the standard. Skill is needed to makethe best choice as to cards retained and cards replaced on the “draw.”

Some states don't allow traditional slot machines, but only bingo orlottery games that resemble slot machines. These games, often called“Class II” games, usually require another button press or two to set thereels spinning. Commencing with the bet, a bingo card is selected. Thenext button push selects a series of bingo balls, and a win or lossoutcome is determined in accordance with the rules of bingo. The nextpress sets slot machine reels spinning and the resulting outcome is thatcommensurate with the bingo game. As an example, a bingo winner paying10 is represented as a slot machine result paying 10. Thus clevermanufacturers have fashioned a bingo game simulating a slot machine thatis legal in some markets.

Still other markets require “central determination.” Unlike traditionalslot machines that stand alone independent of each other, centrallydetermined gaming devices are networked to a central server. This serverdishes random numbers or gaming device outcomes to each device on thenetwork. Thus a central accounting point may be maintained in agovernment office that controls each device statewide. While imposed byregulation, this also helps with accounting controls, general securityand the verification process over large jackpot payouts. These aresometimes called video lottery games. Many other variations exist ongaming devices and the systems that work with them.

As indicated lower denomination games have become very popular recently.In the early 1990s games were generally nickel, quarter and dollardenomination. Today one-cent games are among the most popular. Since thedenomination has fallen, so have average bets. Thus, manufacturers andgaming device operators are striving for ways to keep the bets high tomaintain profitability. To these ends, some gaming device makersincorporate elaborate second- and third-screen bonuses with multiplebonus features embedded within their video slots. But, irrespective ofthe wagering method, games that are too complicated are generally lesssuccessful, since most players prefer new games that are easy to learnand play. So, it is a balancing act to keep games interesting andengaging, but simple. Likewise, keeping the bets high enough to returntraditional or better profits while offering lower denominations is alsoa major objective of game designers today.

Almost all gaming devices retain a portion of wagers for the operator orhouse. This is called the hold percentage. This percent of the wager isused to cover operator expenses and contribute to profits. What is notretained is returned to players in the form of winnings, and thisproportion of wagers is called the payback percentage. Note playerreturns or winnings may be in the form of prizes, accrued payouts,annuities or other things of value that are normally paid for orarranged by the device operator.

Hold and payback percentages are predetermined at the gaming devicedesign stage. The casino game The Big Wheel yields a straightforwardexample. The Big Wheel is typically a single large spinning wheel withapproximately 54 dollars bills pinned to its perimeter in differentdenominations. The player makes a wager, spins the wheel and receivesthe bill indicated when it stops. Assuming the example shown belowhaving 40 equally likely positions, the expected value of playing thisgame is $9.55. (The award is multiplied times its possibility, whichyields a contribution to the total. Dividing by the total number ofpossibilities yields an expected value. Alternatively, as in the case ofslot machines, each award is multiplied by its probability yielding acontribution, which is then summed to find the expected value of playand ultimately the payback percentage.) If it costs $10 to play, thecasino on average keeps $0.45 or 4.5% of bets. Thus the hold percentagein this case would be 4.5% and the payback percentage would be 95.5% asillustrated below (for demonstration purposes only). Award PossibilitiesContribution Expected Value  $1 bill 12 $12  $2 bill 5 $10  $5 bill 10$50 $10 bill 6 $60 $20 bill 5 $100 $50 bill 1 $50 $100 bill  1 $100Total 40 $382 $382/40 = $9.55

As discussed slot machine percentages are found similarly, beingtypically a function of symbol occurrences and the pay table. The paytable (containing the awards) is predominantly fixed and unchangingduring game play, while the symbols (the possibilities) vary. Symbolsare ultimately dictated by a computer algorithm acting as a randomnumber generator that determines where the reels stop in fact orvirtually.

Hold and payback percentages on slot machines have been determined inlargely the same way for many years. Winning outcomes (usually symbolcombinations) are predetermined and listed in a pay table, or publishedschedule of pays. A higher value award or payoff is typically given toscarcer symbols or symbol combinations. The reels are then mapped withsymbols, with the number of symbols and total positions ultimatelydetermining the odds of getting any particular outcome or combination.For example, with one reel containing 1 each of 10 symbols and a randomspin, the odds of getting any particular symbol are 1 in 10. With 2 suchreels, the odds of getting a particular symbol on reel 1 and aparticular symbol on reel 2 at the same time are 1 in 100, and so on.Using math or statistical methods, game developers ascertain the chancesof each outcome and fashion a pay table accordingly to assure the houseretains a mathematical advantage—it's desired hold percentage. Onehundred percent less the hold percentage is equal to the paybackpercentage.

Note the term reel mapping refers to the fashioning of a reelstrip. Areelstrip is a way of laying out symbol possibilities on a reel.Commonly reelstrips are mapped such that identical symbols are not inadjacent positions. Symbols are normally at least 2 positions away fromidentical symbols on a reel when a typical 3 row by 5 reel array isused. (The term reelstrip developed from machines where these plastic“strips” were affixed to mechanical reels.)

There are some simple enhancements to the above method. Wild symbolsoften substitute for other symbols. They may even substitute for othersymbols on other reels, for other symbol positions on the current reelor for multiple positions at the same time. Other games treat eachdisplayed symbol position independently. That is, there is no reel inthe traditional sense and each symbol or position is determinedindividually without any deference to a reel or to which symbol(s) isadjacent.

The term reel as used herein is a convenient way to reference theaction, method and means of finding symbols and displaying outcomes, andit stems from the old mechanical machines. However, since most gamblingdevices today are based on computer platforms, physical reels are nowless common. Virtual reels that simulate a physical reel are most commontoday. Instead of using springs and reels to achieve or simulaterandomness, a computer means generates a random or pseudo-random numberthat determines either which symbol(s) is displayed and in whichposition or some other outcome, which is then displayed or otherwiseused in the course of play.

Some special cases effectively modify one or more pay table awardsbetween games. Progressive awards usually have a reset value andincrease as a percentage of the bet. For example, a progressive jackpotmight start out at $1 million and increase with 1% of monies wagered onall networked machines. This is how IGT's Megabucks works. The odds orwinning are remote, but with hundreds of machines linked to theprogressive system Megabucks has paid awards well over $20 million. Oncepaid, the progressive jackpot resets to its starting value and the cyclerepeats.

Unlike progressives, random pays and mystery awards are paid when noadvertised winning event or symbol combination occurs. Both are usuallysmaller pay table values paid frequently. The timing of their payouts isoften based on some random or other event with pre-set limits. Forexample, the operator may specify that ½% of bets are accumulated in ahidden pool, and that a mystery award always pays between $25 and $75.The gaming device selects a random value between these limits. Whoever'swager causes the hidden pool to reach this value is then paid thisamount. Since the player never knows in advance what the selected randomvalue is, the win is a mystery. It has nothing to do with achieving anywinning outcome on the game, and it may be paid with or without anycoinciding win on the machine. Random pays are similar, although theinternal method that determines when they're paid and how much may vary.Both random pays and mystery awards are triggered separately fromadvertised pay table events, and both are paid from some reservedportion of the payback percentage that is typically influenced, directlyor indirectly, by the cumulative wager.

Some games modify the pay table's schedule of winning events betweengames. In IGT's Hoot Loot one special symbol combination pays an award,and that combination changes with each play.

Regardless, with the traditional means of using reelstrips and paytables to determine gaming device payback percentages, it is normallyrequired that some symbols occur less frequently than others. Forexample, if 5 “red sevens” pays 10000, and 5 “bars” pays 10, it followsthat red sevens won't occur as often. After all, the operator mustnormally retain a mathematical advantage. In practice this means thatsome symbols or combinations are elusive and rare.

Higher paying symbols are the most sought after. Game designers usuallymake them the most ornate, the most animated or otherwise the mostattractive. But, they occur least frequently. Players know these are themost valuable, but get frustrated when they don't get them very often.Thus it's obvious to players that the reels do not contain an equalnumber of symbols, or that the game is somehow designed with a biastowards lower paying symbols. This restricts naturally expected symbolcombinations, and clearly reinforces that odds are against players withevery play.

As indicated above bonus events are very common today. A spin of theslot machine reels may yield a combination of symbols that trigger asecond screen event. The second-screen (or bonus) event may itself be a“nested” event. That is, the bonus may yield an ongoing series of eventsthat ultimately yield award/s or not. For example, in an Egyptian-themedgame a player might be offered one of 3 sarcophogi. One of the 3 maythen yield access into King Tut's tomb. Inside the tomb, the player maybe prompted to select from several doors or passages. Making the rightselection might offer the player the choice of 3 golden idols to choosefrom, each offering a different credit value or even a jackpot. At anypoint in the bonus a wrong choice might terminate bonus play. Thus eachbonus screen may itself yield a subset of possibilities, thus the nestedeffect. At any point during the bonus a wrong selection may terminatethe bonus round paying no prize, a consolation prize, a single prize, anaccrued prize or a jackpot or something else of value.

These bonuses take many forms. Sometimes they are simple selections,that is, choose 1 of 5 treasure chests. They may be nested as in theEgyptian example above. They may yield match games where players selectfrom a multitude of offerings until they reveal hidden prized thatmatch.

Bonus presentation options are unlimited with the proliferation of videoin gaming today. The common thread, however, is that each bonusrepresents a pre-determined contribution to the overall device payback.An example helps to illustrate the bonus math.

Assume a base slot machine returns $0.90 for each $1.00 wagered, but itoffers a simple bonus. This bonus occurs once in each 100 plays onaverage, and the bet is fixed at $1.00 per play. The bonus offers thechoice of 5 treasure chests that contain hidden prizes of 100, 200, 300,400 and 500 1-cent credits, respectively, and the odds of selecting anytreasure chest is fair at 1 in 5. So, 1 time in 100 the bonus occurs,and the average bonus award is 300 ((100+200+300+400+500)/5=1500/5=300).The bonus contribution to the overall payback is then 1/100×300 or 3.Thus this game returns on average $0.90+$0.03, or $0.93 on average foreach $1.00 wagered, and the overall payback percentage is then 93%.

What is most important to recognize in the above example is that thebonus adds a 3% return to the base game to arrive at the 93% overallpayback. Players don't get 3% consistently in the short run, but only inthe long term. That 3% is a long-term average pre-determined by gamedevelopers and is a function of the math model underlying the game.

The problem with this is that the inherent volatility is limited bywhat's offered in the bonus round/s. (Volatility is the attribute ofslot machines that make them fun to play and allows some players to winat the expense of those that don't.) Since the bonus frequency ispredetermined on average, that part of the equation is simply fixed inadvance.

The present invention adds a new and unique aspect to gaming devices byawarding a special class of credits for the primary purpose ofrewagering. (Note the terms wagering and rewagering are sometimes usedinterchangeably herein.) These credits are accounted for on a specialmeter for this purpose, and the player alone decides when to play aspecial bonus game to bet them. As will be shown this new feature allowsmany new options giving players more control and involvement leading tomore interesting games and ultimately more profits for operators andmore sales for manufacturers.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

This new invention is more involving and thus more entertaining forplayers. It gives players more to do without being too complicated. Nowplayers can win multiple classes of credits. Some awards are paid in theform of traditional credits that can be played or cashed out and someare paid in the form of wagering-only credits that can only be played.In the primary embodiment these wagering-only credits are in the form ofacorns. Acorns have value because they can be wagered like traditionalcredits to win cash.

It's fun for players to have this separate “acorn bank” going. Althoughin the Nuts for Nuts! (“NFN”) embodiment described below players may bettheir acorns anytime, part of the fun is racking up large stores ofacorns. (Squirrels like this, too.)

The NFN game gives the player unprecedented control over the volatilityof their returns. As the acorn count increases, so do the correspondingpayoffs when the player eventually does bet. To keep volatility low, theplayer may bet their acorns frequently resulting in more wins of lesservalue. Alternatively, players may choose to bet their accumulated acornsinfrequently or only at the end of their session for fewer chances atmuch greater returns! Payoffs are a function of the number of, or insome cases the value of, the acorns wagered. In any case, the playeralone decides when to play the bonus game where their acorns may be bet,which is another unique aspect of NFN!

NFN is good for manufacturers. Since a portion of the pay table isreturned to players in the form of bet-only credits, playtime isextended. An extra step is commonly required to convert these specialcredits to cash, and that's only if the player wins. In general, longerplaytime translates to greater profit opportunities for operators andultimately more sales for their suppliers.

The NFN game method may circumvent bet limits in some jurisdictions. Forexample, Colorado has a $5 bet limit. While the player may not bet morethan $5 at one time, the NFN embodiment lets players bet an unlimitednumber of acorns irrespective of their underlying value. (Acornstypically have no cash value and cannot be cashed out or otherwise takendirectly to the credit meter for cash.)

This new play method and second class of rewagering-only credits alsoopens the door for many new and creative games and fun game themes fordesigners.

NFN is great for operators. Casinos and gaming device operators work incompetitive environments where players get bored and demand new games.Not only is NFN fun in its own right, but it overcomes a huge problemsome games have with increasing-probability bonuses—vulturism.(Vulturism is a phrase coined for the undesirable effect of personsintimidating players from their machines when their game approaches apositive payoff expectation.) Since NFN players can “bet the bank” ofacorns at anytime, they need never leave a game in a state better thanthat they found it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a primary embodiment of the present invention a portion of the gamingdevice is reserved for the posting and/or accumulation of a specialclass of credits (or their equivalents) that may only be rewagered. Saidcredits typically have no cash value, but may be used like cash ortraditional credits for betting purposes. The player alone decides whento bet these special credits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sample pay table that may be used in one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a sample video slot machine screen display that may be used inone embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart demonstrating the basic steps involved in oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a primary embodiment of the present invention the base game is astandard 5-reel video slot machine. A unique pay table rewards certainoutcomes with symbols instead of credits. Said symbols are accumulatedlike credits, and may be wagered by the player at any time.

As indicated this embodiment is referred to by the working title Nutsfor Nuts. NFN employs a squirrel theme where the slot machine symbolsare squirrels, trees, nuts and the like. The pay table rewards certainsymbol combinations as is traditional in the art with traditionalcredits. However, some symbol combinations reward the player with acornsinstead of credits. Refer to FIG. 1 for a sample NFN pay table.

Credits are logged in a meter as is traditional in the art. However, NFNemploys another meter to keep track of acorns. This acorn meter isdisplayed in a suitable portion of the video screen. Refer to FIG. 2 fora sample NFN screen display.

The player may choose to bet their acorns anytime they have a positiveacorn balance on a secondary game that is, in the primary embodiment,different from the base slot machine game. Each acorn corresponds to anumerical value internally, although this value is not normally revealedto the player, and so rewards in the secondary game depend upon how manyacorns are wagered. In NFN you must wager all of your acorns at once andwinners, if any, are paid off in traditional credits posted to thecredit meter. After the acorn wager is made the acorn meter count resetsto 0.

Refer to FIG. 3 for a flowchart of the NFN play method.

Thus the NFN invention contains a significant departure from traditionalgaming device methods by paying players in a unique form of credits thatmust be rewagered, and NFN employs a separate rewagering credit meterfor this purpose.

It should be pointed out that since the disposition of acorns isn'tdecided until later, accumulating acorns are not, by themselves, truewinners in the traditional sense. Accumulated acorns in NFN are simplyheld in a form of stasis or escrow under the present invention. WhileNFN may purport these acorns as wins this is mainly for marketingpurposes or for convenience, since the end result may in fact be a loss.(The player may bet their accumulated acorns and lose.) Calling acornscontingent winners may be technically more correct. Similarly what wecall rewagering herein is just the next (or last) step to determine theultimate outcome from a previous event, that is, whether a win or a lossoccurred and for how much. Since in NFN there is no additional cashrequired to wager acorns, but there is typically an internalmathematical value assigned to them, it is an important point to makeclear. While the internal value of accumulated acorns might exceed betlimits in some markets this shouldn't matter, since our rewagering doesnot really involve a new wager at all.

As rewagerable only credits, our acorns may never be assigned a cashvalue or surrender value to the player, regardless of how they areaccounted for internally. Similarly, acorns may have no internal orexternal value. It would be easy to apply a probability to the chancethat acorns may ultimately yield something of value with saidprobability changing, or not, as additional acorns are accumulated orother game privileges are earned, accrued or granted. (A privilege maysimply be that a player can open a certain door in a bonus round oncethey have a golden acorn, for example.)

In one alternative embodiment, acorns are achieved in other ways. Thepay table might pay acorns along with traditional credit pays forcertain wins. For example, 3 Daisy symbols might pay 5 credits and 1acorn. Acorns might be granted only upon scatter pays, they might begranted randomly or their acquisition might be conditioned first upon anadditional bet, greater credit per line bet or some other event. Awardedacorns may be worth different amounts so that a red acorn is worth 2white acorns, and white acorns are worth 2 blue acorns. Acorn values mayeven be variable or random.

In another alternative embodiment only rewagerable acorn credits arepaid according to the pay table, and no traditional credits are awardedin the base game. The player must undertake the acorn bonus game orother event in order to make the conversion to traditional credits, cashor other things of value.

In another alternative embodiment any theme may be employed. For examplethe game might be entitled Bet the Bank and employ a Fort Knox, WallStreet or Bank Robber theme.

In another alternative embodiment accumulated acorns may be tracked andreported or displayed in any suitable manner. For example, a graphicalacorn hierarchy might be displayed onscreen where brown acorns are worth1 acorn, red acorns are worth 10 and golden acorns are worth 100. Acornsmay be sized differently to represent different values or othercharacteristics. Other symbols or means may be used in addition to, orinstead of, acorns. The acorn count may be displayed onscreen, trackedby a mechanical meter or by any suitable means.

In another alternative embodiment awarded acorns may have differentcharacteristics. Green acorns may only be used in one form of bonusgame, or portion of any game, while red acorns may only be used inanother.

In another alternative embodiment players may simply buy acorns withcash, credits, player tracking points or other things of value.

In another alternative embodiment accumulated acorns may have a cashvalue and be exchanged for traditional credits in whole or in part. Or,accumulated acorn credits may be wagered in the base game without firstrequiring an exchange process. Accumulated acorn credits may be valuedat and used 1 for 1 with traditional credits or any fixed, variable orrandom exchange rate, conversion value or ratio may apply.

In another alternative embodiment the acorn bonus game is not invoked bythe player, but is triggered by another event within the game, or may berandom or may require an additional bet or any combination of events.

In another alternative embodiment the acorn meter does not reset to 0when the acorn bonus game is invoked and/or played.

In another alternative embodiment you do not have to wager all acorns atonce, but may bet a subset. The player may or may not have the option ofselecting which acorns to bet.

In another alternative embodiment the player must bet or otherwise usetheir acorns within a fixed period of time or within certainlimitations, if, for example, when 100 acorns are accumulated the gameautomatically enters a bonus round and all acorns are automaticallywagered. In another all acorns greater than 100 are automaticallywagered. In yet another all acorns greater than X are forfeit.

In another alternative embodiment acorns may be worth anything of valueand not just wagered for credits. That is, once 50 acorns areaccumulated the player may earn the right to play the next base gamewith all pays doubled. (This may or may not require surrendering the 50acorns.)

In another alternative embodiment it may be possible to win more acornswhile you are in an acorn bonus game.

In another alternative embodiment it may be possible to win anotherclass of special credits while in the base game or in an acorn bonusgame so that 3 or more classes of credits exist. These special creditsmay or may not be wagered or wagerable in still yet another bonus gameand so on.

In another alternative embodiment the acorn bonus game (or any bonusgame) may take any form including the base game, a poker game or othergame, with any number of rounds and played by any set of rules.Similarly, acorns may be bet in an entirely different game.

In another alternative embodiment the player may select from any numberor type of bonus games when wagering their acorns. For example, theplayer may be offered the choice of 3 games: a shake the tree bonusgame, a cross the telephone wire bonus game or a raid the neighbor'streehouse bonus game. Said bonus games may or may not require anadditional bet or minimum number of acorns to play.

In another alternative embodiment symbols or other events may act asacorn multipliers. For example, when the player gets a large acorn itmay multiply the value of the other acorns by 3 or it may multiply winamounts by any number or in any fashion.

In another alternative embodiment acorns may have different internalmathematical values while looking identical to the player. For example,a player may bet 1 credit per payline, get 3 brown acorn symbols in arow and earn 2 acorns, which yields an internal mathematical value of 2.Next game the player might bet 5 credits per payline and get 3 brownacorn symbols in a row, which yields 2 acorns with an internalmathematical value of 10. Thus the player is shown 4 acorns by virtue ofhaving won 2 acorns twice, but the combined internal mathematical valueis 12. These mathematical values may be assigned to individual acorns(e.g., the first 2 are worth 1 each and the next 2 are worth 5 each) orspread among all acorns (e.g., all 4 acorns are worth 3 each).

In another alternative embodiment accumulated acorns have the sameunderlying mathematical value.

In another, acorns with different internal mathematical values lookdifferent.

Acorns may be traded up, if, for example, 2 silver acorns=1 gold acorn.Conversely, acorns may be traded down.

Different acorns may provide different game privileges, which themselvesmay vary in different portions of the game.

A player may have an option to take class I acorns or class II acorns ona winning combination or other event.

The amount, number and type of acorn wins may be based on a multiple ofthe credit per line bets similar to how cash awards are commonly paid inthe art.

Any option related to acorn use, accumulation, trade, privilege orotherwise may be restricted to a certain time period, bonus period,pop-up window or similar use fashion or application period triggered byany game event or randomly.

In another alternative embodiment the internal mathematical value ofacorns is represented to the player in fact, or implied by showingdifferent pay table values possible in the bonus game or otherwise.

In another alternative embodiment the player may receive a minimumaward, consolation prize or thing of value even if they lose in theacorn bonus game or games.

In another alternative embodiment the manner of the present inventionmay be used in other games or gaming devices such as draw pokermachines. For example, certain cards or poker hands might grant acornsor their equivalents, which may be wagered later in a bonus game.

In another alternative embodiment the present invention may be used onor across 2 or more linked or networked games, including web-based orinternet, for competitive or cooperative play purposes between players,contributing to progressives, shared jackpots or other awards or forsharing any aspect or aspects of the present invention.

It should be clear that many options exist to practice the presentinvention. Letting the players decide when to bet their acorns givesthem more control and direct influence on the frequency and amount oftheir wins. Acorns may or may not be considered credits, and they may ormay not have a cash equivalent value.

There are numerous variations falling within the scope of the presentinvention. Any combination of the above embodiments may be used. Thisinvention may be employed with any combination of options including, butnot limited to, other bonus or feature games, lottery games, any skillgame or games having a player skill component, side bets, additionalbets, different wagering methods, play methods or game rules.Implementation may take any form or utilize any suitable means. Thisinvention may be employed in whole or in part, or itself as a bonus,add-on or otherwise in conjunction with traditional gaming devices ormethods. Thus, these and all embodiments described should be viewed asillustrative, rather than limiting.

1. A gaming device comprising: at least one symbol display that includesat least one award symbols, said award symbol associated with at leastone award; a plurality of prize indicators, wherein each has anassociated number of awards needed to access said prize indicator, andeach of said prize indicators includes at least one prize; a processoroperable with said symbol display to generate the award symbols and toenable the player to selectively access at least one prize.